The third and final triathlon of the 2015-16 GMC Tri-Series was held at Aspire Zone last weekend and attracted largest field ever with 284 entries.  The GMC Tri-Series is hosted each year during Qatar’s cooler months and this is the third full season that the series has been held in Qatar. Organized by Tri-Club Doha in partnership with Qatar’s iconic Aspire Zone, each meet features events for beginners as well as intermediate and advanced athletes in separate categories by gender and age groups.
Held on weekends to encourage greater public participation, Tri-Series events are open to anyone and each race is conducted using electronic timing equipment, supported by numerous volunteers from the Tri-Club and Aspire Zone.    
Swimming legs start at the Hamad Aquatic Centre, with cycling and running stages held on the roads within Aspire Zone.
Ewan Cameron, from Tri-Club Doha, said: “We have run these events for 3 years in partnership with Aspire and each race gets bigger and bigger. We are particularly pleased with the number of kids that are getting involved.”
Aspire Zone Foundation Events manager Abdullah Al-Khater said: “Aspire Zone offers a holistic experience and environment for people who want to stay fit.  We are delighted to host such a popular event which helps the community think of fitness outside the walls of just a gym.
Mannai Corporation continued its support of the series through GMC, which has been the title sponsor of the event since its inception. Ivor D’Cunha, General Manager-Operations, Mannai Auto Group said: “We are honored to be supporting such an important event that creates a platform for people within the general community to compete alongside each other. Our participation in the annual Tri-Series has also inspired many Mannai staff to jump into their training gear and participate.
This is extremely rewarding for an organization such as ours which seeks to lead by example and not just suggestion.
A team of employees from Mannai Corporation participated in the recently concluded triathlon. It was the largest turnout of Mannai staff participating in the races, outside of supporting its organization as volunteers in the last 3 years.
The organizers are hoping to inspire more groups of friends and acquaintances to participate together in upcoming Tri-Series events. The next season commences when the weather cools down at the end of the year. However, the triathlon club and it members are always active on triclubdoha.com
Winners
Kids (8-12) – 100m swim, 3km bike, 1.5km run
Male: Ethan Bennett. Female: Erin King
Juniors (13-17) - 200m swim, 5km bike, 1.5km run: Male: William Browne. Female: Ellie Walters
Open (18-39) – 500m swim, 20km bike, 1.5km run: Male: Aday Alvarez. Female    Carla Pregigueiro
Veteran (40+) – 500m swim, 20km bike, 1.5km run: Male: Lee Bennett. Female: Kim Crawford